Friend Like Me
by TheatreGleek
Summary: Quinn sees a different side to the Rachel Berry she thought she knew and an unlikely friendship is formed. Set after A Very Glee Christmas. Faberry friendship.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Hello everyone, I'm Alex and this is my first fanfic, so... be nice. :P I really want a Faberry friendship to happen on the show so I came up with this story. It was partly inspired by the amazing fic Changed for the Better by Gleeks09 - check that story out! Anyway this first chapter is really short but they just get longer from this point. Hope you enjoy!**

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"Awesome job guys!"Mr Schuester said enthusiastically. "We're in such great shape for Regionals!" The glee club nodded and smiled to one another at their teacher's words of encouragement. "So everyone meet in here tomorrow after school so we can practice for our parents showcase tomorrow night. It will be great practice before our next competition!" The glee club murmured excitedly to each other as they left the classroom in small groups.

Everyone except Rachel Berry. She was deliberately taking her time to flick through her bedazzled sheet music binder so she could be the last one to leave. Not that it was difficult, she thought to herself. Since Finn had broken up with her, the other members of New Directions barely acknowledged her existence except to knock back her ideas and throw insults at her. While the whole club had banded together to end Karofsky's bullying of Kurt, Rachel hated that her teammates didn't see how much pain they were inflicting on someone else.

Rachel gathered her belongings and left the choir room; by now everyone was long departed. Rachel exited the front doors of McKinley High and began the long walk back to her house. Rachel often opted to walk as she was always one for exercise; while she used to enjoy her tranquil walks home, now they seemed to reinforce the loneliness she often felt.

* * *

When Rachel finally arrived home it was almost dark. She opened the front door and immediately turned on all the lights. Rachel grabbed some food from the fridge for dinner, ready to retreat to her bedroom for the rest of the night.

Coming home to an empty house was not new to Rachel. Her dads were regularly away on business trips, leaving Rachel on her own for over a week on some occasions. They would leave her large amounts of money so she could get everything she needed; she walked to school, forged permission slips and put up a façade of a happy family life. The truth was, Rachel wasn't sure if it was better when they were around. When they were together they didn't act like a family, her fathers barely spoke to each other or to her while in the same house. Rachel's attempted conversations with the two men were always short-lived. When Rachel had attempted to create a relationship with Shelby, she had been begging for someone to care for her, be a parent to her, but her mother's rejection only added to Rachel's pain and loneliness felt at home and at school.

As Rachel pulled out her laptop to check the comments on her YouTube videos, she decided to check her Facebook page. She didn't use it often, but figured that she had nothing else to do that night. When she opened Facebook, she was confronted with the sight of Mike's new album of photos from a party on the weekend – yet another one she hadn't been invited to. Among the album's thumbnails she could see photos of Finn and Santana making out; she really did not feel like seeing those and she angrily shut her laptop.

As she closed the computer screen, Rachel stared aimlessly at the mirror in front of her on her decorated vanity. Suddenly her phone lit up, indicating a text message. Rachel eagerly picked it up, hoping for the best. Instead, the message read –

**Rachel, be home next Saturday night now. More work than expected. – Dad.**

When Rachel read the message, she could feel the tears well up in her eyes. This meant two extra days by herself; her other dad wouldn't be home until the next Sunday.

Rachel angrily put her phone down and stared at herself in the mirror. She hated this. She hated that she was alone, that no one paid attention to her in the slightest way. All Rachel wanted was a family to love her and friends to care about her. Was that too much to ask, the young diva thought to herself. As tears cascaded down her cheeks, she decided that in a time like this she needed to do what she did best. The perfect song came to mind; Rachel took a deep breath and began to sing, letting all of her feelings pour out with her beautiful voice.

_The sun'll come out, tomorrow_

_Bet your bottom dollar that tomorrow _

_There'll be sun_

_Just thinking about tomorrow_

_Clears away the cobwebs and the sorrow_

'_Til there's none_

_When I'm stuck with a day_

_That's grey and lonely_

_I just stick out my chin, and grin, and say_

_The sun'll come out tomorrow_

_So you gotta hang on 'til tomorrow_

_Come what may_

_Tomorrow, tomorrow_

_I love you tomorrow_

_You're always a day away_

Rachel's cheeks were heavily stained with tears; she wrapped her arms around herself and curled up in her bed, crying herself to sleep.

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**Song is obviously _Tomorrow_ from Annie. Let me know what you think!**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Hey everyone! Thanks to those who read and reviewed the first chapter - it was exciting to know that someone actually read my story! Sorry to say that this chapter is still mainly background but next chapter will have Quinn finding out about Rachel's situation. I would really love some suggestions for this story so please read and review with your ideas!**

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In the new school year, Quinn Fabray had risen to the top of the high school hierarchy in spite of all of the drama of the previous year. She was dating the cutest guy in the school, she was head cheerleader, getting excellent grades and even enjoying glee club. Over the summer break she had moved back in with her mother, and her relationship with Judy Fabray was new and improved. While the first few weeks after Beth's birth and adoption had been difficult, Judy had showered Quinn with love and attention, being the mother she could never be in the same household as her husband. Quinn was happier than she had been in a long time.

On the day of the parents showcase, Sam met Quinn in the parking lot, which he did every morning. "Hi," she said with a smile. Sam gently kissed her and put his arm around her shoulders as they walked into school together, Quinn lightly playing with the promise ring that now adorned her finger.

"You all ready for your big performance tonight?" Quinn teased, gently nudging him in the ribs. "I don't want you getting stage fright."

Sam laughed. "I still don't think Mum and Dad can believe that I'm in the glee club," he said with a smile.

Quinn nodded. "As much as I love my new and improved mother, seeing her get so excited about our little concert is really strange. She used to tell me I'd get fat if all I did was "sit on a stool in the dark and sing showtunes", now she's excited about it."

"Oh by the way, Mum is expecting to meet you as soon as she arrives. Just letting you know who the woman who will corner you as soon as she steps into the room is," Sam said with a grin, holding Quinn's hand as they walked down the hallway together.

The couple were so absorbed in their conversation that neither of them noticed Rachel walking down the hallway. With years of practice, Rachel had learned to display an optimistic face at school, but today she was finding it harder the usual to mask her worries. On her way into school she had spotted Finn and Santana making out, which hadn't helped her mood in the slightest. Rachel arrived at her locker to collect her books for the day, taking a few deep breaths to steady her nerves. Rachel put on her best diva smile and shut her locker door, failing to notice there was a football player poised to attack right behind it. She didn't even see who it was before she was showered with two sticky red slushies. Rachel was paralysed with shock as students in the hallway began to laugh at the diva. Rachel grabbed the bag with her emergency clothes and ran, humiliated, into the closest bathroom.

* * *

When Rachel ran into the bathroom, tears began to fall down her cheeks. She got slushied almost daily at school, yet her peers just pointed and laughed instead of assisting her which made it more humiliating. Rachel stared into the mirror, helplessly surveying the damage the red drink had caused to her attire for the day. It was only when she heard a toilet flush behind her that she realised she wasn't alone. Rachel quickly washed her face to remove some of the slushie and to dry her tears. She pleaded with herself to stop crying as the door clicked and Quinn emerged from the cubicle. "Rachel," the head cheerleader said curtly as she smoothed her uniform and checked her hair. It was only then she noticed that something was not quite right about Rachel, taking in the sight of her slushie stained clothes and blotchy face. "Are… you okay?"

Rachel emphatically nodded and said, "Yes Quinn, thank you for your concern but I am completely fine." However, Quinn wasn't buying the excuse. Aside from her slushied state, Quinn saw vulnerability in the diva's eyes that she had never before noticed.

"Well you don't look fine. No one can say that when there's cherry slushie in their hair," Quinn said firmly. While she was now the head cheerleader once more, she had no desire to be HBIC after the events of the previous year. Seeing her classmate like this made her genuinely concerned and she knew she had to help her. The blonde girl picked up the towel from Rachel's bag and ran it under the tap. "Come on, I'll help you clean up," Quinn said. Rachel stared at the cheerleader with suspicion, not moving from her spot. "It's just a towel Rachel, not another slushie," Quinn said with the slightest hint of frustration, playfully holding the towel in front of her. Rachel hesitantly walked over to Quinn, still apprehensive about her sudden burst of compassion.

Nevertheless, a few minutes later Quinn had removed all of the sticky liquid from Rachel's hair. When Quinn was satisfied it was all gone, she folded up the towel and Rachel examined her hair in the mirror. "Thanks," she said softly to Quinn. "But…why did you help me?"

"As much as I feel like punching you in the face a lot of the time, we are teammates and no one deserves to have corn syrup in their hair all day," Quinn said, crossing her arms across her chest, maintaining some aspects of her head cheerleader persona. Rachel shyly smiled at Quinn, glad that she had been kind enough to help her. The bell for the start of the day rang and Quinn picked up her bag. "Bye Rachel," she said, shooting a small smile as she left the bathroom.

* * *

That afternoon after school, the glee club congregated in the choir room to prepare for that evening. Rachel chose to stay out of the conversation most of the time, deciding to avoid the possibility of the insults and harsh words her teammates usually greeted her with. Quinn noticed that Rachel was quieter than usual, but was too preoccupied with her conversation with Mercedes and Tina to act on her worries.

When all of the parents began to arrive, Rachel tried not to let it get to her. As she saw Kurt arrive with Burt and Carol, she preoccupied herself with informing Brad the accompanist about the hits on Broadway this theatrical season.

Finally all the parents had arrived and settled and they began the showcase. Sam and Quinn, Mercedes and Santana and Mike and Tina performed their duets from their assignment; the club also performed their mashups and the group numbers they had learnt so far that year. The parents loved all of it and clapped and cheered wildly after every song. Then the time came for Rachel to perform her solo. The parents clapped with enthusiasm as she stood up; the members of New Directions absently clapped for her. The song she had chosen was particularly relevant for her at the moment; she wanted to be in a far off place most of the time now. She sang for her childhood, which seemed so far away now; she sang for the relationship she could not have with her mother. Rachel poured all of her emotions into the beautiful song.

_She'd tell me 'bout Captain Hook and all of his men__  
__Who followed Peter with with a hook replaced as his hand__  
__In those tales, bad guys seldom did win__  
__So the Captain was eaten and Wendy had twins__  
__Well that's the story as I recall__  
__But I may have made up the end__  
__Don't remember much at three feet tall__  
__Except for when I'd say,__  
__"Mom, let me go to Never Neverland__  
__Let me fly for one day__  
__And throw that fairy dust in my hair__  
__So I'll pretend I'm flying away"__  
__I'm flying away__  
__Well to my surprise, I grew up too fast,__  
__And that easy life of Tinkerbell never did last__  
__So I silently dream myself far, far away__  
__That I would be immortalized like Peter one day__  
__And that's my childhood as I recall__  
__Though in some ways it never did end__  
__And now I'm standing, well, a little bit taller__  
__Except for when I say,__  
__"Mom, let me go to Never Neverland__  
__Let me fly for one day__  
__And throw that fairy dust in my hair__  
__So I'll pretend I'm flying away"__  
__I'm flying away__  
__And though life is never easy as we as children read in the books__  
__Where fairy dust could just fly you so far away__  
__All I ask is that you leave me my imagination__  
__So I can pretend I'm flying away__  
__I'm flying away__  
__And that is where I stay__  
__Right there in Never Neverland__  
__I'd be flying, I'd be dying__  
__For love and appreciation__  
__Where mermaids would sing__  
__And fairies would ring__  
__Right down there in Never Neverland__  
__And it's second to the left and straight on 'til morning__  
__Or was it second to the right and straight on 'til morning?__  
__In Never Neverland__  
__In my Never Neverland_

At the end of the song, the audience cheered with enthusiasm, and Rachel couldn't help but smile at their approval. She rarely received it from anyone. However, as the showcase concluded Rachel's adrenaline rush from performing began to fade as she saw each parent congratulate their child. She wanted nothing more than to have someone there for her, telling her how proud they were of her. Rachel slipped out of the classroom unnoticed, retreating to the bathroom to wait until each happy family had left.

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**The amazing song is Never Never Land by Scott Alan. Lea really needs to sing it on the show. Please review!**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Hello readers! We are now at chapter 3! Sorry for the lack of an update yesterday, I really like to know exactly where my stories are headed and although this chapter was finished I didn't want to be clueless about where I was headed down the track. Any suggestions and ideas are always welcome! The next chapter should hopefully be up tomorrow but if not it will definitely be the day after. Enjoy!**

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"I'd say we have an excellent chance for Nationals," Mr Schuester said enthusiastically, Judy Fabray eagerly taking in every word the young teacher was saying. "The kids were great at sectionals and they've already improved so much since…"

Quinn rolled her eyes and sighed as she heard Mr Schu ramble on. All the other families had long since left, and Quinn was beginning to think her new and improved mother was a little too enthusiastic for her own good. Finally Judy got the hint that it was time to leave and she exited the choir room with her daughter. As they walked down the hallway, Judy put her arm around Quinn's shoulders and gave her a light squeeze. "I'm so proud of you Quinny," she said and Quinn leaned into her mother's embrace. "You were wonderful tonight, your duet with Sam was beautiful." Quinn couldn't help but smile at the mention of her boyfriend. He had introduced the Fabrays to his parents; they had both loved Quinn and Judy and Sam's parents already spoke like they had known each other for years.

It had begun to rain outside, and Judy and Quinn ran through the downpour to get to their car; Quinn was without hers as it had been serviced at the garage that day. As they drove out of the carpark, Judy continued to recount every detail of the events of the evening, commenting on each performance but repeating several times that she liked Quinn and Sam's duet most. They had barely left the school grounds when Quinn spotted a small figure dressed in the white shirt and jeans they had all worn that evening, feebly attempting to shield themselves from the heavy rain with a plastic bag. "Mum, stop the car," Quinn said. Judy obeyed, a little confused, and Quinn wound her window down. "Rachel?" the cheerleader said, and the girl jumped with shock when she heard Quinn's voice.

"Quinn!" Rachel replied, sounding frightened. "I… I thought everyone had left," she stammered.

"What are you doing in the rain? Where are your dads?" Quinn said, taking a few seconds to realise that they had in fact not been at the concert.

"They couldn't come tonight," Rachel said nervously, the rain still beating down on her.

Judy leaned over to speak to the soaked teenager. "Rachel, sweetheart, get in the car. You can't walk home in weather like this," the woman said. Rachel hesitated, about to protest, but then realised that they wouldn't let her keep walking in the rain and opened the car door to sit down.

Rachel was completely drenched from head to toe, and Quinn didn't believe that the nervous expression she currently wore was due to this. Quinn gave Rachel a reassuring smile as Judy started the car again but Rachel's glum expression didn't falter.

"Where do you live sweetheart?" Judy said kindly to the girl in the backseat.

"Um, Garland Avenue," Rachel replied, hesitating momentarily.

"But that's miles from here!" Judy said with shock. "You were going to walk all that way by yourself?" Rachel stammered to try and justify it but Quinn spoke up.

"Rachel, it's fine. Just relax," she said, trying to calm the girl who was visibly on edge. Quinn shot a quick glance to her mother and Judy knew not to push the topic further.

"You were excellent at the showcase tonight Rachel," Judy said, glancing at Rachel in the rearview mirror. "Your solo was quite breathtaking."

Quinn looked in the mirror at the diva. Rachel was smiling and looked genuinely touched by Judy's words, her eyes filled with utter joy. Quinn was confused, the girl currently sitting in her car was a far cry from the self-assured diva she had become accustomed to seeing at school. Was praise like her mother had just given her that rare in Rachel's life?

"It's a pity your dads couldn't be here," Judy continued, and Quinn saw Rachel once again become nervous and vulnerable.

"Yeah," Rachel said hesitantly. "They're just out of town for a little while."

Judy's maternal instincts kicked in when she heard this. The girl sitting in her car was clearly not having the best time at the moment. "Is someone looking after you? How long are they gone for?"

Rachel tensed visibly at the questions. "No, I'm perfectly capable by myself. They're just gone until next week." Rachel silently cursed herself for revealing all of this.

Judy noticed how uneasy Rachel was and decided she couldn't let this go. "When next week Rachel?"

Rachel fidgeted in the seat uncomfortably; Quinn was watching her intently now. "Next Saturday," Rachel said quietly, and the car suddenly screeched to a halt, taking both teenagers by surprise.

"Next Saturday?" Judy said with shock. "You're staying by yourself for a week and a half?"

To Quinn and Judy's surprise, Rachel was trembling and began to cry. "Mrs Fabray, please, you can't tell anyone," Rachel said, her voice breaking with her emotion and her tear filled eyes pleading.

Quinn was still shell shocked from this confession as Judy got out of the car, opened the back door and sat next to Rachel. She held the small girl's hand and put an arm around her shoulder, trying to comfort her. "Rachel, sweetie, don't worry. I'm not going to tell anyone, okay?" she said, trying to ease the worries of the crying teenager. Rachel nodded in reply, still in tears. "How about you come back to our house so we can have a chat, and then I'll take you home, okay?" Rachel sniffed and nodded against the older woman's shoulder. "Okay," Judy said, rubbing Rachel's back to reassure her. "I should get you two out of the rain," Judy said, and got back in the driver's seat. Rachel looked up and saw Quinn; she had completely forgotten that the cheerleader was in the car. The diva looked away with embarrassment, but was surprised to see the cheerleader giving her a gentle smile. Quinn outstretched her hand and took Rachel's in hers for a moment. As Judy returned to the driver's seat, Rachel returned the smile shyly, never expecting to receive understanding from Quinn Fabray.

* * *

Minutes later, they arrived at the Fabray house. It was everything Rachel had expected; a tall and foreboding brick structure surrounded by impeccably kept gardens. Quinn led Rachel inside in silence, Judy leading the way. "Rachel, come sit in here so you don't freeze to death," Judy said as she switched on the heater in the living room. While Rachel had dried off considerably in the car, she was still quite damp and sat down in front of it gratefully. She was desperately trying to think of a lie to give Judy and Quinn so she could leave and they would drop the subject, but as the woman sat down next to Rachel she knew she couldn't lie. This was her chance, the diva thought to herself. She could tell someone about everything.

Quinn sat down on the couch across from Rachel and studied her face. This was not the Rachel she knew. The Rachel Berry she had become used to at school was overly confident, loud, stubborn and self-assured – the consummate diva. The girl sitting in her living room at this moment was none of those things, and Quinn was beginning to wonder what could possibly cause the two different personalities that Rachel Berry seemed to possess.

"Rachel, I can see that something is wrong," Judy said gently. "And that you're clearly upset about it." She took the girl's hand and smiled to try and calm her nerves. "What's going on?"

Rachel looked at her lap and fiddled with her jeans, trying to avoid Judy's question. Finally she took a deep breath and began her story.

"My dads are basically separated now, and have been for about three years" Rachel said, trying to maintain her composure. "They sleep in separate beds and they barely talk to each other. Or to me." Rachel added, figuring they might as well know everything. "They're both really busy with their jobs, and they have to travel a lot for them. When I was younger they would try and organise their trips so I wouldn't be by myself for more than a weekend or so, but now that I'm older they don't worry about it." Rachel said, trailing off at the end.

Judy shook her head, trying to process all the information Rachel was giving her. "Maybe a weekend is fine, but you're still a kid. You shouldn't have to look after yourself."

"I know I shouldn't have to," Rachel said, struggling to keep her composure as she became defensive. "But I do. I walk to the store for groceries because I can't drive and I forge my school permission notes. I remind my dads about my performances, hoping that they'll remember and come and see me. I want someone to be there when I come home after school but since I can't have that I have to make do by myself." Quinn could see that Rachel was steadily growing angrier.

"Rachel, this is not your fault," Judy said strongly, "and you shouldn't treat it as such. You should have just asked your friends for help."

"I don't have any friends!" Rachel exclaimed, and she was crying; the diva got up from the couch and ran to leave. However, Judy was too quick and went after the girl. She stepped in front of Rachel and put her hands on her shoulders, looking genuinely worried.

"What do you mean?" Judy said with concern. The woman looked at her daughter for answers, but Quinn was rooted to the spot and was staring at the ground, embarrassed and feeling horribly guilty about her past behaviour and everything she had just heard from Rachel.

"No one likes me," Rachel said, staring at Judy. "My boyfriend dumped me, my teammates barely tolerate me; I get mocked and teased by them and everyone else. Everyday I get a slushie facial and I sit by myself at lunch. There isn't a single person in the world who cares about me or gives me the time of day." Rachel was sobbing heavily now, and Judy pulled the small girl into a hug.

"I care about you, Rachel," Judy said tenderly as she tried to calm the sobbing teenager. "I'm going to fix this, okay?"

Rachel pulled away from Judy, looking scared once again. "Mrs Fabray, you can't tell anyone. Please."

"Shhh, don't worry. I'm not going to tell anyone, okay?" Judy said, holding her tight again and Rachel nodded. "You're going to stay here, alright?" Rachel's eyes widened with shock but she slowly nodded in response. Quinn, who had been watching from her spot on the couch, had seen this coming but it was nevertheless odd. The girl she had tortured throughout her high school years was now staying under her roof. That was karma for you. "Tonight you can wear something of Quinn's and then tomorrow I'll drive you to your house to get your things." Rachel could only nod in response as she wiped away her tears.

"Come and have a shower so you can calm down a bit, okay?" Judy said, taking the girl by the hand to lead her upstairs. "Quinn?" the woman said, staring at her with a deadly serious expression. Quinn obediently got up and followed; she could tell that this was not going to be pleasant.

Quinn was told to give Rachel some pajamas; she silently did as she was told and waited in her room silently as her mother showed Rachel the bathroom down the hall. Quinn heard the door click shut and Judy appeared in her room. She walked over to Quinn and folded her arms defiantly in front of her chest.

"Talk."


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Hello readers! I managed to get the next chapter to you - and it's the longest one yet! Thanks to everyone who has read and reviewed, it's great to know that people are enjoying it! If you have any ideas for things that should happen please let me know, I'd love your opinion! I will most likely get the next chapter up tomorrow - I have the whole story planned out now so it will mean updates should be every day or two. I hope you enjoy this chapter!**

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Quinn fiddled with the stitching on her jeans, trying to avoid her mother's cold stare. "How much do you want to know?" she said awkwardly.

"As much as is even distantly relevant to everything she just told me," Judy said dryly, still not moving her gaze from Quinn.

So Quinn told her everything, from Rachel's usual behaviour in Glee to her bullying from the glee club and the student body. She told her about Rachel's breakup with Finn, and even told her about the slushies. Quinn told her mother the bullying she had inflicted on her in the past, and how she had helped her that day at school. "Mum, I've been really awful to her and at the start of the year I decided I wasn't going to be that person again," Quinn said, biting her lip nervously and subconsciously shaking her head. "I haven't been sticking to that but after hearing this it's made me more determined to help her."

Judy moved to sit next to Quinn on the bed and gave her a gentle squeeze. Neither of them said anything as Quinn leaned into her mother's embrace. They both heard the shower turn off down the hall. "Mum?" Quinn said. "Can I talk to her before we go to sleep?"

Judy nodded. "I think she would like that right now."

* * *

Rachel was sitting on the bed in the guest room, her knees pulled up to her chest and her head in her hands. She felt so embarrassed that she had confessed so much downstairs; she didn't even know Judy Fabray and yet now she was staying in her house. Rachel felt so stupid that she had revealed everything to the first person who had shown her the smallest bit of kindness she had received in years. I've been fine by myself for years now, Rachel thought to herself. Why did I have to go and get other people involved?

Suddenly Rachel heard a knock at the door. "Rachel?" Quinn said softly as she inched the door open. "Could I talk to you for a second?" Rachel nodded anxiously, hugging her legs closer to her and biting her lip nervously. Quinn let herself in and awkwardly sat on the end of the bed; she didn't want to intimidate Rachel, who was quite visibly nervous. "Rachel, I know I've been really awful to you," Quinn began, looking earnestly at the young diva. "I can't count the number of terrible things I've done to you and when I think about them all now I feel disgusting to think that I've done it for so long." Rachel looked away nervously from the cheerleader as she spoke. "I feel awful that you've felt so alone for so long now and that none of us had taken notice to do anything about it." Quinn had not moved her gaze from Rachel, who was looking away with unshed tears in her eyes. "When I came back home over the summer, I thought a lot about everything that happened last year, and I said to myself that I was going to be a better person." Quinn paused, starting to cry herself. "And I haven't been sticking to that, but I'm going to start now. I know nothing I say or do can ever take back everything I've done to you, but if you would let me I would really like to be your friend."

Rachel looked at Quinn at this confession, tears in her eyes. "Really?" Rachel said quietly. Quinn nodded earnestly at the diva, wiping away her tears.

Rachel could see the sincerity in Quinn's eyes and was still a little surprised from Quinn's confession. She would never have dreamed that she would have received an offer of friendship from Quinn Fabray. Before Quinn could say anything else, Rachel reached out and took her hand. Rachel managed a smile, regardless of the tears brimming in her eyes. "I'd like that," Rachel said shyly. "Thank you." Quinn wrapped her arms around the diva, hugging Rachel tightly as they both cried. Rachel was a little shocked at Quinn's display of affection, but gradually became comfortable in the hug.

"Rachel, I'm so sorry," Quinn whispered as she hugged Rachel. "I could say that a million times and it wouldn't even begin to cover what I did to you."

Rachel pulled out of the hug to look at Quinn. "But saying it once means everything," Rachel whispered, and Quinn couldn't help but smile at her new friend's kindness. "I'll even buy you a slushie on Monday," Rachel added with a smile, and Quinn laughed as she wiped her tears.

Neither girl had noticed Judy Fabray watching from the hallway; tears filling her own eyes. She didn't know what it was about the young diva, but seeing Rachel in her vulnerable state had left Judy feeling obliged to protect and care for her. Judy had abandoned her own daughter in her greatest time of need, and she was not going to make the same mistakes again. Judy wiped her tears away before speaking. "Girls, you should try and get some sleep."

Both teenagers turned to look at her and nodded in agreement. Judy Fabray went to leave, but was interrupted by a small voice. "Mrs. Fabray?" Rachel said quietly as she approached the older woman. As Judy turned around, Rachel stood shyly in front of her. "I just wanted to say thank you," she said softly. "You don't even know me and you're taking care of me."

Judy smiled at Rachel. "It's okay sweetheart," she said affectionately. She gave Rachel a small hug. "It's no trouble at all." Rachel smiled and went back to her bed as Quinn got up to leave.

"Goodnight Rachel," the cheerleader said to her new friend as she left the room.

"Goodnight Quinn," Rachel said with a smile as she crawled into the bed; Quinn turned off the light and Rachel went to sleep feeling better than she had in a long time.

* * *

The next morning, Quinn woke later than usual. She stumbled blindly down the stairs into the kitchen, and it was only when she heard two voices in the kitchen that she remembered the events of the previous night. Wow, Quinn thought to herself, a lot happened last night.

Quinn entered the kitchen to see Rachel seated at the breakfast bar across from Judy, looking quite cheerful as she ate a banana. "Good morning sweetheart," Judy said happily, pulling her daughter into a hug and planting a quick kiss on her forehead. "Did you sleep well?" Judy asked and her daughter nodded.

"Morning Rachel," Quinn said as brightly as she could, still not completely out of her haze of sleep.

"Good morning Quinn," Rachel said; the insecure and vulnerable Rachel Berry that had been present the night before was not evident at all.

"It's a wonder this one's even awake," Judy said teasingly. "She normally doesn't emerge before ten on weekends." Quinn playfully nudged her mother as she eagerly shovelled the bacon waiting on the bench for her into her mouth.

* * *

An hour later, Quinn Fabray's car was parked outside the Berry residence and the two teenagers approached the house. Rachel unlocked the heavy front door and stepped into the house. Quinn took in her surroundings; seeing the home of Rachel Berry for the first time. It was a modern style home; everything was symmetrical and the walls were white. While photographs of Rachel and her dads adorned every surface, Quinn couldn't help but think that the house did not really resemble a home. The house was cold and unwelcoming; nothing about the surroundings suggested a happy family life.

Rachel looked embarrassed and shy as she showed Quinn inside. "My bedroom's upstairs," she said softly, and Quinn obediently followed. She lightly chuckled as she saw the gold star hanging on the door.

Quinn couldn't help but notice that Rachel's bright yellow bedroom was more akin to a child's space than a teenager's. The white four poster bed with a pink and white checked doona was covered with stuffed toys. There was a bookcase stuffed with trophies and posters of many Broadway shows adorned the walls. Rachel opened her closet and Quinn's eyesight was assaulted with brightly coloured patterns and fabrics. Rachel attempted to reach up to grab a suitcase from the top shelf, but her diminutive height meant she was struggling. "Here, I'll get it," Quinn offered as she reached up and grabbed the bag. Rachel smiled at her friend and began silently throwing clothes into the bag. "Do you want me to do anything?" Quinn said kindly.

"No thanks Quinn," Rachel said politely with a smile. "I have this under control." Quinn nodded and went to sit on Rachel's bed, picking up a magazine off Rachel's bedside table. Quinn noticed her Lady Gaga costume hanging on the back of her bedroom door; the cheerleader suddenly remembered everything about Rachel's shortlived reunion with Shelby. When Rachel had found her mother in that fateful Vocal Adrenaline rehearsal, when Rachel had ecstatically shown up for Glee and proudly announced her mother had constructed the small black dress, and Rachel's heartbreak when her mother had abandoned her. Quinn wondered just how much Shelby had affected Rachel during their short encounter.

Quinn was distracted from the dress when she spotted a crystal glass on Rachel's bedside table. It was adorned with gold stars, arranged to cover almost every inch of the glass. Quinn smiled, thinking of how very _Rachel_ it was. However, Quinn snapped out of this state when Rachel suddenly darted across the room.

"Don't touch that!" she exclaimed, and she forcefully grabbed the glass from Quinn's hands. Quinn was taken aback by Rachel's outburst; she shrank backwards away from the diva. Rachel blinked and looked quite stunned. "Sorry," Rachel stammered. "I shouldn't have done that," she added rather sheepishly.

Quinn was still sitting in silence, intrigued by Rachel's behaviour. "It's just that… she gave it to me," Rachel said quietly as she stared reverently at the decorated glass in her hands. "Shelby."

Quinn didn't know what to say to this; Rachel's gaze was still transfixed on the glass. After a few moments, Rachel snapped out of her trance and remembered Quinn's presence. "Oh my God, I'm sorry," Rachel said, quite embarrassed, returning the cup to its place on her nightstand and stepping back across the room, trying to regain her composure. However, Quinn could see the hurt in the young diva's eyes and stood up after her.

"Rachel, you don't have to be sorry," Quinn said. "You're allowed to be upset about what happened.

Rachel shook her head as she folded a skirt into her suitcase. "No, I've spent too much time crying over this situation."

"If you need to talk to someone about it, I'm right here" Quinn said gently.

"Why would I need to talk about it?" Rachel said, feigning nonchalance but not succeeding.

"Rachel, you could have told Shelby about your dads," Quinn said. "She would have wanted to help."

Rachel turned to Quinn and stared at her darkly. "Why would I have done that?" Rachel said, her voice wavering. "So she would have pitied me? Why would she have been any different from my fathers, who've raised me since I was born? If they don't care then why would she? I wanted her to be there because she wanted to know her daughter, not because she had to look after her."Rachel was crying now. "She didn't want me," the diva said softly as the tears rolled down her cheeks; Quinn pulled Rachel into a hug and she sobbed on the cheerleader's shoulder. "She didn't care. No one cares."

"Rachel, that is not true," Quinn said strongly. "My mum cares, I care. And I am positive that Shelby cares about you. When you carry a baby for nine months you can't help but love them." Quinn paused, remembering her own daughter. "And maybe she didn't express that when you met, but I have no doubt that she loves you." Rachel was so grateful to hear those words; she had tried to convince herself of it in the months since her reunion with Shelby but to hear someone else say it was infinitely more reassuring. Rachel was silent for a few moments; the only sound in the room was the sound of her ragged breathing from crying.

"Thanks Quinn," Rachel said softly. "I've never talked to anyone else about Shelby before."

Quinn smiled at the diva kindly. "Well now that you're staying in my guest room, I'm right there if you need me."

* * *

A while later, Quinn and Rachel loaded the bags filled with Rachel's clothes, movies and sheet music into the car and drove back to the Fabray house. The girls had settled into a pleasant conversation about school and glee club and Quinn couldn't help but think how easy Rachel was to get along with when they were away from school.

As the two girls entered the house, they were warmly greeted by Judy, embracing both girls in an impromptu hug and taking Rachel's bags. Rachel was taken aback by the woman's sudden display of affection but couldn't help but think how nice it was.

"Sam rang while you were out, sweetie," Judy said to Quinn. "He wanted to know if 6:00 was okay to pick you up?"

Quinn looked slightly embarrassed, and answered Rachel's unspoken question. "I've got a date tonight with Sam, and then it's Santana's birthday party," she said sheepishly. "I'm not going for the whole night," Quinn said. "I'm not really a fan of parties."

"That's fine Quinn," Rachel said. "I hope you have a good night with Sam." Nevertheless, Rachel was a little disappointed that Quinn wouldn't be around to talk to. She was steadily growing accustomed to the blonde as her friend.

"Rachel, I just took a look at the movies you brought over, you have excellent taste," Judy said and Rachel blushed. "How about we watch one tonight?" Rachel couldn't help but smile and she nodded eagerly.

"I'm going to go get ready," Quinn said before darting upstairs, leaving Rachel and Judy alone.

"What would you like for dinner Rachel?" Judy said to Rachel.

"Oh, I'm a vegan Mrs Fabray," Rachel said shyly. "I'll just have some of the fruit I had for breakfast."

Judy shook her head. "No Rachel, you're not going to eat fruit the whole time you're here," she said firmly. "Take a look in the pantry."

Confused, Rachel opened the cupboard behind her. The diva was greeted by the sight of countless vegan grocery items stacked on the shelves. Rachel's jaw hung open in disbelief as she stared at the food.

"Quinn told me you were a vegan," Judy said, thinking back in horror to the egging incident Quinn had described. "When I went shopping today I bought some things for you."

Rachel was humbled by the kind gesture. "Thank you so much," she said softly. Rachel awkwardly hugged Judy, who hugged her back feeling glad that she had made Rachel so happy.

"Come on," the older woman said brightly. "Let's figure out what we can make."

Judy and Rachel started making casserole as Quinn got ready for her date upstairs. Rachel talked about school, glee club and Broadway and Judy listened intently to all of it. Rachel's anxieties had all but disappeared; she knew that she could trust Judy Fabray.

Quinn eventually emerged downstairs, wearing a modest blue dress and her hair styled into a loose bun. "You look lovely sweetheart," Judy said, and Rachel nodded and smiled in agreement.

"Can I please go have a shower now Mrs Fabray?" Rachel asked, as Judy put the casserole in the oven.

"Rachel, you don't need to ask," Judy said, "Of course you can." Rachel made her way upstairs, leaving Quinn alone with her mother.

"I hope you have a good time tonight sweetheart," Judy said, "But remember your curfew is 11:30." She said this in a playful tone but Quinn knew she meant business.

"Yes mum, I remember. I don't want to be out all night anyway."

"Good," Judy said with a smile.

"Mum, don't talk to Rachel about her… situation tonight," Quinn warned. "I know you want to fix it but just leave it alone for tonight."

Judy nodded. "You're right, she needs a night where she doesn't have to think about everything. We'll just watch one of her movies."

"Speaking of it… what are you planning to do about Rachel's situation?" Quinn said to her mother.

Judy sighed. "I don't know yet. I don't want to disrupt her again too much this week."Both women heard the water from the shower cease upstairs and fell silent.

"How about we think more about it later?" Quinn said. "You're right, at the moment she's happy and we don't want to ruin that."

Suddenly the doorbell chimed and Quinn beamed. "I'll get it," she said excitedly as she sprinted to the door. She opened it to see Sam standing their in a casual white shirt and jeans, looking rather handsome. "Hey," she said with his usual charming grin. Quinn couldn't help but smile back as he entered the house and gave her a quick kiss. "Ooh, something smells good."

Quinn led him into the kitchen towards the source of the pleasant smell. "Hi Mrs Fabray," she said politely.

"Hello Sam, how are you?" Judy said with a smile. She liked Sam much more than Finn, and she could tell that he made her daughter happy.

"Good, just school, football, the usual," he said cheerfully.

The conversation was interrupted by the sound of footsteps on the stairs. Rachel emerged downstairs, her hair held in place by a large pink headband, an oversized Phantom of the Opera sweatshirt and hot pink track pants. When she came into the kitchen she froze at the sight of Sam, who was wearing a confused expression. Rachel turned a deep shade of scarlet and stammered. "I… uh… hi… sorry." Rachel turned and fled, racing back up the stairs.

Quinn looked at Sam, who was quite puzzled. "I'll be right back," she said, shooting him a glance that seemed to say 'I'll explain later'.

Quinn bounded up the stairs and headed into the guest room, where she found Rachel sitting on the bed with her knees pulled up to her chest. "Quinn, I'm sorry," she said, shaking from anxiety. "I didn't hear the doorbell, I-"

"Rachel, stop," Quinn said firmly and Rachel was silenced. "There's nothing to be sorry about. I was going to tell him tonight anyway, you just beat me to it," the cheerleader joked.

"But… I didn't think you would want to tell anyone," Rachel said shyly, a little confused. "I mean, you're the head cheerleader. Why would you want to tell anyone you were my friend?"

Before Rachel could say anymore Quinn cut her off again. "Listen Rachel, I'm your friend, okay? Friends don't hide from anyone and I'm certainly not ashamed of being friends with you. If anyone has a problem with us being friends then they can take it up with me. But all I care about is being your friend, and I'm going to be here for you from now on."

Rachel was stunned by Quinn's sudden outburst, and felt tears in her eyes at Quinn's adamant display of friendship. Quinn pulled Rachel into a hug. "Thank you Quinn," Rachel said with a smile, feeling a swell of happiness at Quinn's words. "Have fun on your date," she said.

Quinn nodded as she pulled out of their hug. "Have a good night, Rachel," she said with a smile, and headed downstairs to see her boyfriend.

* * *

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